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Round 3 – How to keep a Safe Driver Safe

Name: Cameron Hirschhaut
From: Lincolnshire, Illinois
Votes: 0

How to keep a Safe Driver Safe

How to keep a Safe Driver Safe

By: Cameron Hirschhaut

What is the one thing no one likes to think about when getting behind the wheel of the car? The answer to that is death. But maybe it’s something that should be thought about a little more because if we push it off to the side then people’s actions could make that a reality. Every year there are an estimated thirty eight thousand car related deaths. There are many ways we can prevent many of these. But the main way is through driver education.

The reason driver education is such an important factor in preventing car related deaths is because according to a new study by AAA:

There really is a difference when teens take driver education,” says Jenny Robinson, a spokesperson with AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Driver education reduces crashes by 4.3% and convictions by nearly 40%… (Gregg 1).

This shows that even the basic driver education course can save countless lives, and may be the most effective tool currently at curbing the yearly car related deaths. The saddening reality is that it is nearly impossible to bring the yearly number of car related deaths to zero. The reason for this being that not all accidents are necessarily avoidable even with a good education. This is why a car accident is called just that, an accident. However, with better educated drivers on the road we can work to bring the number of avoidable car related deaths to zero. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln the statistics show that people who took a state approved driver education course had a smaller chance of being involved in a car accident. This statistic is shown in the article when it states, “11.1 percent of the driver’s education cohort was involved in a car crash, compared to 12.9 percent of those who did not take driver’s education” (Leslie 1). This quote supports the fact that driver education is currently our most effective tool to combat the rise in vehicle related deaths.

Personally I know how important driver education is because I have been involved in not one, but two fender benders in the last few years. These occurred when I was at a full stop at a red light and someone plowed right into the back of the car. This has time after time made me more conscious about my driving even though I couldn’t have done anything to stop those people from hitting the car. Those experiences have also made me more aware of how my friends drive when we might be going from one place to another in multiple cars. Sometimes my friends will speed up very quickly, speed or switch lanes excessively. When they do this I usually give them a little extra room because I know if something happened I would want a little extra time to react to ensure that I don’t become part of that collision. I acknowledge that when I first started driving I was a very safe driver, but after a little bit I sort of slacked off on being a safe driver. I also acknowledge that this all changed when I was coming home from a Cubs game and someone slammed on their brakes, and I ended up rear ending them. Luckily no one was seriously injured or had to be seen for medical evaluation, and there was little to no damage on the car I rear ended. However my Mom’s car was almost considered totaled. When this happened I went back to stage one and drove like I had gotten my license the day before. This made me realize if everyone goes the speed limit, and aren’t aggressive drivers then many lives could be saved each year.

Even though I know we can’t make everyone a safe driver, if we can help educate most of the drivers on the road then we can potentially save many lives. Some of the ways we can do this are by mandating that drivers take a four hour driver’s education refresher course every five years. This would be an effective method in helping to make better drivers on the road because in an article written by Thomas Churchill he states, “A refresher course can be of help when it comes to improving your driving habits” (Churchill 1). These habits include building confidence, changing habits, and changing laws. By reinforcing these habits this will essentially make people cautious drivers again which is a big step towards having safer drivers on the road and reducing vehicle related deaths. Another way we can help ensure that the majority of drivers are safe drivers is by making an advertising campaign to inform and refresh seasoned drivers on some of the important daily driving tips that are important to remember in order to maintain safe driving habits. Some of the important tips that should be included in this campaign according to the Healthinaging.org are:

Seat belts save lives, mute your cell phone, do not eat while driving, do not drink and drive, limit distractions, watch the road, drive during daylight as much as possible, avoid driving in bad weather, choose safer routes, try to drive when there’s less traffic, do not drive when you are stressed or tired, and consult with a driver rehabilitation specialist (HeathinAging.org).

The quote above lists tips that while easy to forget, are critical in keeping drivers safe on the road. With an advertising campaign raising awareness of these tips, the amount of safe drivers on the road would likely greatly increase.

Based off the evidence provided in this paper, the best way to keep the roads safe is to keep the rules of the road fresh in peoples’ minds. Some efficient ways of doing this are by requiring refresher driver’s education courses every five years as well as advertising campaigns to remind drivers of some tips to stay safe when you are behind the wheel. This supports the importance of driver education, and the continued education of even seasoned drivers. In conclusion, by taking these steps we can help to significantly reduce vehicle related deaths and ensure those rates continue to decrease for many years to come.

Works Cited

Churchill, Thomas. “Why You Should Take a Refresher Course in Driving.” The Info Center, 11 July 2020, www.thecenteratmdc.org/take-refresher-course-driving/.

Gregg, Cherri. “New AAA Study Says Drivers Ed Classes Help Save Lives Of Teen Drivers.” CBS Philly, CBS Philly, 9 Sept. 2014, 4:51am, philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/09/09/new-aaa-study-says-drivers-ed-classes-help-save-lives-of-teen-drivers/.

Tip Sheet: Safety Tips for Older Drivers. (2019, February). Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.healthinaging.org/tools-and-tips/tip-sheet-safety-tips-older-drivers